Why Is There So Much Hate...

 
                                                     In This World?

“Why”- a short word, yet, one that demands an answer. An example of this: when a gunman rushes inside a building and takes the lives of men, woman, and children; wounds several others, and then turns the gun on himself. Obviously, he was full of hatred…for himself, for others, and for society in general. Afterwards, a saddened community leaves piles of flowers, and teddy bears where a tag was seen among the pile with the word, “Why?” Grieving parents, friends, as well as millions of people the world over share the same question, “Why?” The loss of life this past Friday was infinite as measured in history; and for as long as we all shall live, it will be etched in all our minds and hearts. They were, for the majority, innocent kindergartners!

Why do innocent children die this way? Why is there so much of this kind of hatred? That the world is full of blind, unexplainable hatred has likely not escaped your notice. In fact, for one reason or another, you may have been a victim of hatred yourself, and maybe you too have probably asked “Why?” possibly more than once. Even this time of the year, when peace on earth, good will toward men and love, is the norm among many…hate, crime and violence has no boundaries.

Destructive hatred is based on prejudice, ignorance, or misinformation and is usually triggered by fear, anger, or a sense of injustice. Not having a proper basis, this hatred results in shocking results and repeatedly gives rise to the question, ‘Why?’ All of us know people whose characteristics or habits may irritate us at times and with whom we find it hard to interact. But irritation is one thing; the desire to do people bodily harm is something else. That’s why it’s difficult to comprehend how a person can nurse feelings of hatred for entire groups of people, oftentimes people he does not even know. Long-standing hatred of other ethnic groups, races, or nationalities is behind many of the problems in today’s world. When coupled with racism, hatred becomes even more sinister. There is no mistake, such hatred still exist! And it is so deeply rooted that even when the conflicts that it has spawned are resolved, it remains. How else can we explain the difficulty in maintaining peace in war-torn and terrorist-plagued countries?

We live in a world that teaches hate! People are inherently selfish. And selfishness, if not kept under control, can turn into hatred. A person motivated by hate is consumed by his own passion, and never care about others. On the other hand, these very same people profess to love the true God. How contradictory! How selfish! How can a person say he loves his Creator and hate his fellowman? (1 John 4:20) He sees man daily, but man has never seen God!

Hate can be replaced with love…unselfish Godly love. Love deprives hate of its basis, and triumphs over it. It is the strongest force in the universe because, “God is love.” 1 The heart that beats for God’s adversary-the devil…the god of hate will not beat for long. However, the heart that beats for Almighty God, the God of love, will beat forever. Which quality dominates your life, love, or hate?

Thought Provoking...huh?

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Loretta